embryo

em·bryo
E1M3B3R1Y4O1
UK/ˈɛmbɹi.əʊ/US/ˈɛmbɹi.oʊ/

noun

In the reproductive cycle, the stage after the fertilization of the egg that precedes the development into a fetus.

Similar
conceptusfertilized egg
Less commonScrabble 13

Meanings

nounembryo (plural embryos or embryones)

plural embryos · plural embryones · alternative embrio · alternative embryones · alternative embrio’s · alternative embrioes · alternative embryos · alternative embrioun · alternative embrion · alternative embryon · alternative embrions · alternative embryons · alternative embryon · alternative embryons · alternative embrya

  1. In the reproductive cycle, the stage after the fertilization of the egg that precedes the development into a fetus.

    They include cells that would typically go on to develop a yolk sac, a placenta and the embryo itself.

    2023 June 14, Brenda Goodman, “Scientists report creation of first human synthetic model embryos”, in CNN
    3 more examples

    SE onset depends on a complex network of interactions among plant growth regulators, mainly auxins and cytokinins, during the proembryogenic early stages, and ethylene and gibberellic and abscisic acids later in the development of somatic embryos.

    2015 August 18, Clelia De-la-Peña et al., “The role of chromatin modifications in somatic embryogenesis in plants”, in Frontiers in Plant Science, volume 6, →DOI

    In situ hybridisations were performed on devitellinised embryos still wrapped around the yolk and on embryos with the yolk dissected away.

    2015 December 4, “Divergent RNA Localisation Patterns of Maternal Genes Regulating Embryonic Patterning in the Butterfly Pararge aegeria”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI

    Though scientists do not know how stress affects gestation, Fukuda theorizes that the vulnerability of Y-bearing sperm cells, male embryos and/or male fetuses to stress is why “subtle significant changes in sex ratios” occur.

    2019 January 23, Susan Scutti, “Climate change will affect gender ratio among newborns, scientists say”, in CNN
  2. An organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis.
  3. In a viviparous animal, the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body.
  4. In a human, usually the cell growth of the child within the mother's body, through the end of the seventh week of pregnancy.
  5. biologyA rudimentary plant contained in the seed.
  6. figurativelyThe beginning; the first stage of anything.

    […]while the Company little ſuſpected what a noble Work I had then in Embryo […]

    1731 (date written), Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], “An Introduction to the Following Treatise”, in A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, […], London: […] B[enjamin] Motte […], published 1738, →OCLC, page lxxviii
    2 more examples

    it dives into the heart of the observed, and there espies evil, as it were, in the first embryo […]

    1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC

    Lord Lufton, with his barony and twenty thousand a year, might be accepted as just good enough; but failing him there was an embryo marquis, whose fortune would be more than ten times as great, all ready to accept his child!

    1860 January – 1861 April, Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published April 1861, →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan animal organism in the early stages of growth and differentiation that in higher forms merge into fetal stages but in lower forms terminate in commencement of larval life

Similar
conceptusfertilized egg
Broader
animalanimate beingbeast

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἔμβρυον“fetus”
  2. Medieval Latinembryō
  3. Englishembryo

Borrowed from Medieval Latin embryō, from Ancient Greek ἔμβρυον (émbruon, “fetus”), from ἐν (en, “in-”) + βρύω (brúō, “to grow, swell”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἔμβρυον, κύημα
  • ἔμβρυον (émbruon)an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • κύημα (kúēma)an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • ἔμβρυον (émbruon)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • κύημα (kúēma)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Arabic جَنِين
  • جَنِين (janīn)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Bengali ভ্রুণ
  • ভ্রুণ (bhrun)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Bulgarian ембрио́н, заро́диш
  • ембрио́н (embrión)an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • заро́диш (zaródiš)in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body
  • начална фаза (načalna faza)the beginning; the first stage of anything
  • заро́диш (zaródiš)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • ембрио́н (embrión)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Catalan embrió
  • embriófertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Chinese Cantonese 胚胎
  • 胚胎 (bui¹ toi¹, pui¹ toi¹)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Chinese Mandarin 胎, 胚胎
  • 胎 (tāi)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • 胚胎 (pēitāi)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Czech zárodek, embryo
  • zárodekfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • embryofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Danish embryon
  • embryonfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Dutch kiemplant, embryo
  • kiemplantbotany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed
  • embryofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Esperanto embrio
  • embriofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Estonian embrüo
  • embrüofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Finnish alkio, alkio
  • alkioan organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • alkioin viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body
  • alkioin humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body
  • alkiobotany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed
  • alkuthe beginning; the first stage of anything
  • alkiofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
French embryon
  • embryonfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
German Embryo
  • Embryofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Greek έμβρυο, έμβρυο
  • έμβρυο (émvryo)an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • έμβρυο (émvryo)in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body
  • έμβρυο (émvryo)in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body
  • έμβρυο (émvryo)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Hebrew עֻבָּר \ עובר
  • עֻבָּר \ עובר ('ubar)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Hindi भ्रूण
  • भ्रूण (bhrūṇ)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Hungarian csíra, embrió
  • csírabotany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed
  • embrióbotany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed
  • csírathe beginning; the first stage of anything
  • embriófertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • magzatfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • ébrényfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Icelandic fósturvísir
  • fósturvísirfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Indonesian embrio, janin
  • embriofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • janinfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Italian embrione
  • embrionefertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Japanese 胎児, 胚
  • 胎児 (taiji)in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body
  • 胚 (hai)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Korean 태아, 태아
  • 태아 (taea)in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body
  • 태아 (taea)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • 배 (bae)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • 배아 (baea)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Latvian embrijs
  • embrijsfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Lithuanian embrionas, gamalas
  • embrionasfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • gamalasfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Malay embrio, janin
  • embriofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • janinfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • mudghahfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Māori kikiri
  • kikirifertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Norwegian Bokmål embryo, kime
  • embryobotany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed
  • kimebotany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed
  • embryofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Persian جنین, رویان
  • جنین (janin)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • رویان (royân)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Polish zarodek, embrion
  • zarodekin humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body
  • embrionin humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body
  • zalążekthe beginning; the first stage of anything
  • zaczątekthe beginning; the first stage of anything
  • zarodekfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • embrionfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Portuguese embrião, embrião
  • embriãoan organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • embriãoin viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body
  • embriãoin humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body
  • embriãobotany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed
  • embriãothe beginning; the first stage of anything
  • embriãofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Romanian embrion
  • embrionfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Russian эмбрио́н, заро́дыш
  • эмбрио́н (embrión)an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • заро́дыш (zaródyš)an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • эмбрио́н (embrión)in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body
  • заро́дыш (zaródyš)in viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body
  • эмбрио́н (embrión)in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body
  • заро́дыш (zaródyš)in humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body
  • заро́дыш (zaródyš)botany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed
  • эмбрио́н (embrión)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • заро́дыш (zaródyš)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Slovak zárodok, embryo
  • zárodokfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • embryofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Spanish embrión, embrión
  • embriónan organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • embriónin viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body
  • embriónin humans: the cell growth up to the end of the seventh week in the mother's body
  • embriónbotany: rudimentary plant contained in the seed
  • embriónfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Swedish embryo, embryo
  • embryoan organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • embryoin viviparous animals: the young animal's earliest stages in the mother's body
  • embryofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Tagalog bilig
  • biligfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Thai เอ็มบริโอ
  • เอ็มบริโอ (em-brì-oo)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Turkish embriyo, embriyo
  • embriyoan organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • embriyofertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • ceninfertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Ukrainian ембріо́н, заро́док
  • ембріо́н (embrión)an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • заро́док (zaródok)an organism in the earlier stages of development before it emerges from the egg, or before metamorphosis
  • ембріо́н (embrión)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • заро́док (zaródok)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Urdu جنین
  • جنین (janīn)fertilized egg before developing into a fetus
Vietnamese phôi, phôi thai
  • phôifertilized egg before developing into a fetus
  • phôi thaifertilized egg before developing into a fetus

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

embryo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embryo

MLA

“embryo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embryo. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “embryo,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embryo.

Source: embryo on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.